Pouring spout



- ment as shown in the accompanying drawing in Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30,

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a pouring spout particularly intended for molten explosive.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a jacketed pouring spout in which condensate is purged under steam pressure in a direction opposite to that of gravity flow so that dry hot steam will be in direct contact with an inner tube and cold spots are avoided at the tip or lower end of the spout.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiwhich:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pouring spout constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of a modified form of spout showing the outer tube before final formation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the gland.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown a vertically arranged pouring spout comprising a plate 5 having an aperture 6. An inner tube 1 having one end inserted in the aperture and fixed to the plate provides a passage 8 for the flow of a liquid material such as molten explosive. The other end of the tube I is formed with a flange 9 which for convenience of manufacture serves as a lower support for an outer tube I0 which may be welded in place and also constitutes an end closure.

An intermediate tube II fixed to the plate 5 is disposed between and is spaced from the inner and outer tubes so that an inner annular chamber I2 and an outer annular chamber I3 are provided. The intermediate tube II terminates short the inner chamber l2 contacts the inner tube 1 and maintains it at a desired temperature. As condensate collects at the lower end of chambers I2 and I3 it rises to the lower edge of the intermediate tube and isolates these chambers. The inner chamber I2 remains under line pressure while the pressure in the outer chamber I3 drops. As a result the condensate is forced up through the outer chamber I3 under steam pressure and drained oil through the outlet I60. In consequence of this arrangement cold spots are avoided at the tip or lower end of the spot.

Under some conditions of use, for example in loading a shell by means of an extruder screw, limitations on the internal and external diameters of the spout prohibit the employment of a structure as shown in Fig. 1. An arrangement which will comply with a requirement of limiting dimensions is shown in Figs. 2 to 5 in which a plate I! has a central aperture I8 and a pair of oppositely disposed radial openings constituting a steam inlet I9 and an outlet 20.

An outer tube 2I inserted in the aperture I 8 and fixed to the plate has oppositely disposed apertures 22-22 in alignment with the inlet I9 and outlet 20. An. inner tube 23 spaced from the outer tube provides a passage 24 for receiving molten explosive and an extruder screw. The lower end of the inner tube is formed with a flange 25 to which the outer tube is connected. A gland 26 inserted between and fixed to the inner and outer tubes closes the annular steam chamber 21 and is provided with oppositely disposed slots 28-29 which respectively provide for fluid communication between the chamber 21 and the inlet !9 and between a passage 30 and the outlet 20.

The passage 30 is in communication with the chamber 21 at the lower end of said chamber. One manner of establishing the passage consists in forming two parallel slits 3 I3I longitudinally of the outer tube, forming a transverse slit 32 at each end of each slit 3|, folding those portions of the outer tube adjacent the slits inwardly against the inner tube and then welding, brazing or soldering in place as indicated at 33.

The operation is similar to that previously described, the condensate being forced up the passage 30 to the outlet 20.

I claim:

1. A pouring spout comprising a plate, an inner tube fixed to the plate, an intermediate tube fixed to the plate, an outer tube fixed to the upper part of the intermediate tube and having its lower end fixed to the inner tube in spaced relation to the lower endof the intermediate tube, a steam inlet in the upper part of the intermediate tube and an outlet in the upper part of the outer tube.

2. A pouring spout comprising an inner tube, an outer tube and an intermediate tube providing an inner annular chamber and an outer annular chamber, the inner and outer tubes connected at their lower ends and spaced from the lower end of the intermediate tube, a steam inlet in the upper part of the inner annular chamber and an outlet in the upper part of the outer annular chamber.

3. A pouring spout comprising an inner tube, an outer tube having portions engaging the inner 

